Very disturbing game. I was there (didn't pay, luckily) and there are ominous signs. This isn't a team coasting to the finish line, it's one that's losing its focus and identity. New guys have come in and have seemed to add to the disconnect. Pahlsson's heart doesn't seem to be in his game. Gragnani has switched up the chemistry on the defense for the worse. How has he earned PP time? Make him work for his spot, don't just hand it to him.

Henrik Sedin's comment that his line "played well "was a head scratcher. Daniel certainly can't play defense. What was he doing trying to throw a hip check? Oh yeah, the real defense was nowhere to be seen.

There are too many first line players hitting the wall at the same time. They won't be able to flip a switch and get back to winning. Teams are already tightening up for the playoffs and we're not responding. First round elimination? Please God, no.

I think the shitty play of the past few months is finally catching up with us unfortunately.

I didn't watch this one, fortunately it sounds like, but the past 20-30 games have been some of the weakest games I've seen the group play in like 5 years. We have been coasting and winning when we haven't deserved it, which has lead to a false sense of security and confidence in the ability to win with the weakest of efforts.

I say a good ole' fashioned losing streak is exactly whats needed to get these guys back into the games and sort this crap out.

I agree HW, the defense has been aweful and you are bang on in identifying it as a glaring weakness. MAG is not deserving of 1st unit PP time and his 5 on 5 play makes me cringe. As far as I'm concerned, letting him get his 12 games isn't as important as finding our rhythm again. I'm not convinced he's worth keeping, to be brutally honest. We really needed that veteran BEAST defenseman we all talked about adding at the deadline. Not finding him could prove to be a pretty big mistake....

Uncle dans leg wrote:I think the shitty play of the past few months is finally catching up with us unfortunately.

I didn't watch this one, fortunately it sounds like, but the past 20-30 games have been some of the weakest games I've seen the group play in like 5 years. We have been coasting and winning when we haven't deserved it, which has lead to a false sense of security and confidence in the ability to win with the weakest of efforts.

I say a good ole' fashioned losing streak is exactly whats needed to get these guys back into the games and sort this crap out.

I agree HW, the defense has been aweful and you are bang on in identifying it as a glaring weakness. MAG is not deserving of 1st unit PP time and his 5 on 5 play makes me cringe. As far as I'm concerned, letting him get his 12 games isn't as important as finding our rhythm again. I'm not convinced he's worth keeping, to be brutally honest. We really needed that veteran BEAST defenseman we all talked about adding at the deadline. Not finding him could prove to be a pretty big mistake....

Are you suggesting we love Alberts more

Yeah, this team needs to lose 10-0 to a team like Calagary (or the first round so we can fire AV and hire Ron Wilson just to piss off Dips & BB )

I really don't mind if they stumble for awhile. This slump seems entirely predictable; safe spot in the top 2, post trade shuffle of the lineup; playing teams fighting to get in; chillaxing at home after a long road trip.

I don't enjoy the losses but I wouldn't mind them losing to winnipeg (i'd also like to see winnipeg beat out toronto for the playoffs), and some adversity now is not such a bad thing. Plus, they are being forced to play the type of games they'll have to play on the playoffs. We all know they've been sloppy for a good number of games now, but managed to pull out wins often because of the goalies...so, let's see them lose a few knowing that won't work, fine by me...the losses come at no cost. I'm not especially concerned with the 1 seed, which would only matter in the WCF, presuming both Det and Van got there.

They've played like crap for the most part recently, and I expect it to go on for another 2-3 games. Let them get it out of their system, let the van media bray and bedwet, and then then work to get the team focus back in on what needs to be done. If anything, AV could cut back more on the minutes of Sedins, Kesler, rest them up, experiment, even it if means more losses.

Benjo wrote:Anyone remember when they lost back to back against Edmonton to close out last season?

Yes, although those weren't the last two games of the season, I take your point, and recall some of the media hand-wringing. It is instructive to look back on the March results for the Bruins last year, and the Hawks the year before...mediocre, at best, speaking generously. This is not to say because the Canucks lost two in a row (sorry, I meant ...TWO IN A ROW!!) and have had a sluggish March they are off to the Cup like the Bruins and Hawks. After last year, we all know nothing is ever in the bag until it's official. But it is to say that what is going on now has little to no relation to what will happen in the playoffs (save for a major injury), the playoffs are an entity unto themselves, win or lose.

..this is a great team coming off a shitty road trip who got up for a big game against the Blues, met the challenge, played the game they had to play and won. (We can consider at this point that the club has met many said challenges this year with great success....Detroit, Boston, Chicago all circa 2012...which is what veteran teams do).

Then we have two "meh" games where a team that is possibly a bit run down not to mention has had their lineup shuffled ends up losing out.

This is not the Canucks from 2002 where a young club fought tooth and nail resulting in a marvelous record down the stretch to make the post season.

This is a well led veteran club.

Don't worry be happy.

This team will be fine.

They may not win a Cup but it won't be because we lost to Buffalo and Dallas in early March.

I'd look at the fight in the St. Louis game, especially considering the circumstances, as a description of the cajones this team has as opposed to the fact we lost two in a row to inferior competition since then.

The team has been winning a lot lately, so a slump is to be expected. Every team goes through at least a couple of slumps throughout a long 82 game season. Our core players have not been playing their best for three weeks now, so losing a few games is to be expected. Hopefully playing an upstart Canadian team on Thursday will help to give the boys some extra motivation.

Some thoughts:

I'm bored of the regular season and I expect the players are too.

Every single one of our players is snake bitten right now and hasn't been playing with much confidence on the offensive side of the puck which is now affecting their defensive game. They'll snap out of it soon enough. Sometimes it seems like you can't buy a goal, and other times the flood gates open and you can't be stopped. This is one of the ebb and flows of the game, especially over a long regular season.

I wonder if Gragnani has ever been taught how to play defense? He has been brutal.

The Gragnani/Rome pairing is U-G-L-Y. I'm hoping we see a different look on Thursday. Tanev was taken out of the lineup for having a "challenging game" as AV put it. Well, Gragnani has had two "challenging games". I think the guy needs some practice (and maybe that's what this audition is for). Based on what I have seen, I wouldn't be at all surprised if Gragnani gets zero time in the playoffs.

Speaking of Gragnani, I find it rather interesting that a guy with 15 career NHL points was given a shot on the Canucks's #1 powerplay unit while 163 career NHL point guy Keith Ballard hasn't been given more than a lick of powerplay time (not even on the second unit) in his two years here.

Speaking of Ballard, is he going to be back this year? The reports when it was announced that he was being put on LTIR were mixed...some said out until the playoffs and other said out until after the trade deadline.

You know the team's in a funk when Vancouver's most consistent player, Alex Burrows, has one of the worst games of his career. I bet we won't see another sloppy backcheck from Burr all year.

I thought the Sedins actually had a reasonably effective game. They looked dangerous at times, and if it wasn't a hook on Burrows early on the top line could have had the game's first goal. I think once this line pots a couple the flood gates will open. They created a handful of scoring chances, which is what you expect from an offensive line.

The powerplay is awful right now and has been for two months. I don't really know what happened, but when the flood gates open it will be great.

I think Higgins will be playing with Kesler by the time the playoffs start. Like Gragnani, I think Kassian is getting a bit of an audition to see what he can bring this year.

Ice time is a funny thing. Right now I think the ice time for MAG and for Kassian is a reaction to the criticism to the trade. As well for MAG to get his required number of games in so they still have him as an asset and they can do that without fearing they will miss the playoffs. Look for him to be out of the line up as soon as he reaches that magic number and Tanev will draw back in.

As for Ballard I am hearing no timetable for his return yet. But ya, pretty funny he didn't get the chance that MAGs is getting.

St. Louis is playing good hockey right now and I would prefer to finish ahead of them in the standings and Detroit has been a beast at home so likewise I'd prefer to finish ahead of them in the standings. Top seed in the West could be a big deal this year. As for 1st overall who cares at this point, but I would love top spot in the West.

There is a lethargy about the team outside of the big games. It is mental at this point not lack of talent. We need Raymond to produce on the second line or we need to keep him on the third line. Kassian has trouble keeping up with Booth and Kesler and looks gassed when he plays with them. I suspect his conditioning isn't where it needs to be so I think back on the 4th helps the tam the most. I know I'm a broken record right now but I simply do not like the lines AV is rolling. GO with your strengths.